Extensive numbers of telephone wire enclosures are located in harsh environmental settings, including sub-grade locations that are under water or susceptible to flooding. Fluid is prevalent in these settings, and there is great concern in preventing the ingress of fluid into the enclosures, which may denigrate, or altogether destroy, the telephone wire connections within the enclosure. The concern is even greater where fiber optic cables are used.
One of the most susceptible locations for fluid ingress is about a cable at the point of entry of the cable into the enclosure. To restrict the ingress of fluid into an enclosure at a cable's point of entry, seals have been used in the prior art. The various prior art seals provide different degrees of sealing over extended periods of time, depending upon such factors as the extent of plastic deformation caused by changes in temperature, excessive and/or uneven stresses, etc.